Spring 2024 Graduating Student Ceremonies
The Spring 2024 Graduating Student Ceremonies for the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) celebrated the accomplishments of 65 graduates on Friday, May 17. The sequence of events began with the Hooding & Cording Ceremony, the Senior Graduate Recognition, the Engineering Capstone Awards, and it concluded with the Order of the Engineer induction. Faculty from the college distributed the awards and acknowledgments.
The Hooding & Cording Ceremony symbolized the completion of a master’s degree program or undergraduate research. For the master’s hood, the color of the velvet trim indicated the area of study—gold for science and orange for engineering.
The gold undergraduate research cord required students to meet two specific criteria. First, students had to fulfill a minimum of one year of undergraduate research under the guidance of a faculty mentor, or they must have completed a TAMU-CC undergraduate research program, such as Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC), or McNair Scholars. Second, students had to publicly present the results of their research through a paper, article, poster, or oral presentation. Meeting both criteria showed students were dedicated to their education and contributed to the advancement of their fields. Drs. David Bridges and Chandra Sekharan, chairs of the Engineering and Computer Science Departments, led the recognition of graduating seniors.
Following this, the Capstone Awards were presented. Students participated in Project Management and Capstone Project classes to prepare and develop their projects. As a result, the top three teams were recognized with gift cards and certificates for their hard work and perseverance.
The Capstone Awards had two categories: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Technical and Business Plan competitions. The following are the winning teams for both categories:
BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION:
First Place:
"Sinkhole Simulation and Measurement Tank (SSMT)
Brandon Alaniz, Vernonika Castaneda, Bryan Loya, Amina Nawaz, and Patrick Puebla
Second Place:
"SkySense: Democratizing Climate Research with High Altitude Internet of Things (IoT) Sensor Balloons"
Stephen Dennis, George Hernandez, Garrett Martin, Skyler Martin, Marcelino Beltran Sanchez, and Hoang Wong
Third Place:
"IoT-enabled Autonomous Rover"
McKinley Bennett, Benjamin Brigger, Jerin Henderson, and Cameron Welp
IEEE AWARDS:
First Place:
"IoT-enabled Autonomous Rover"
McKinley Bennett, Benjamin Brigger, Jerin Henderson, and Cameron Welp
Second Place:
"Firefighting UAV With IoT"
Erick Alfaro, Brandon Garza, Luis Hernandez, and Andrew Shafer
Third Place:
"Sinkhole Simulation Tank Team"
Brandon Alaniz, Vernonika Castaneda, Bryan Loya, Amina Nawaz, and Patrick Puebla
To conclude the ceremonies, The Order of the Engineer had 24 students recite a pledge that required them to uphold ethical standards and integrity in all their engineering endeavors. Afterward, each student received a stainless-steel ring placed on the little finger of their working hand to represent that every move they make as engineers reflects their dedication to serving humanity with tolerance and respect.
Bennett, a mechanical engineering graduate, explains what the significance of the ring means to him.
“Receiving this ring is a great honor,” Bennett said. “Commemorating all our hard work, it's a symbol of resilience, growth, and the bond we have created with our classmates and helpful professors. As we journey into our own paths, we can all see this ring and know that we accomplished this together, which is sentimental to me.”